| abstract |
One embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for forming a substrate. The method includes applying an aqueous solution of a nanoparticle precursor to a fiber assembly, wherein the nanoparticle precursor includes a metal salt and a reducing agent. The method also includes drying the fiber assembly with thermal energy to form the substrate in a continuous operation, such that drying produces metal nanoparticles in the substrate. The metal nanoparticles have a size ranging from 1 to about 200 nanometers in at least one dimension. |